Kaileena (or the Empress of Time) is one of the main antagonists in Warrior Within and a protagonist in The Two Thrones. She is a love interest of the Prince, and is known for her small amount of clothing.
Biography[]
Warrior Within[]
- "I hoped the Dahaka would kill you, I hoped my towers would finish you off, or that Shahdee would keep you from the island! I even cursed the sword I gave you! And yet you did not die!"
- ―Kaileena[src]
Kaileena and the Prince first meet when Shahdee (for reasons unknown at the time) struggles to kill her. The Prince kills Shahdee and asks Kaileena for information, but she is secretive at first. When she meets him later in the game, she frequently tells the Prince not to continue his journey as she announces that his fate cannot be changed. Although she says this, she helps him throughout the game, giving him swords and knowledge about the fortress's towers which are used to open the door to the Empress' room. The Prince continues his journey despite her advice against it. When the Prince opens the door, it is revealed that Kaileena herself is the Empress. She had sent Shahdee to kill him and even cursed his sword. They fight and she is killed, releasing the Sands of Time. When the Prince puts on the Mask of the Wraith he is given a second chance to change his fate. By not gaining all the life upgrades, the player is presented with a false ending in which Kaileena is killed yet again. However, by gaining all the life upgrades, the player gets the Water sword and the true canonical ending, in which the Prince defeats the Dahaka instead, working alongside Kaileena and saving her in the process. They then set sail for Babylon, and during the course of the voyage, they begin a sexual relationship. However, when they are close, Kaileena has a vision of Babylon being ravaged by an army.
She is voiced by and modeled on the Italian actress and fashion model Monica Bellucci in Warrior Within but not in The Two Thrones.
The Two Thrones[]
Following the canonical ending, The Prince and Kaileena sail back to Babylon, and continue with their romantic relationship. However, Kaileena is well aware that the Prince has not fallen in love with her. During the last part of their journey, the Prince drops the Medallion of Time, overboard, believing that it is no longer needed, and she tells him that out of all the possible future's, the one they are living holds the most promise. In response to this, the Prince makes a solemn promise that no harm will come to her in Babylon. However, because of the Prince's efforts on the Island of Time to prevent the Sands of Time from ever being created, the events of the original games never happened, and the Vizier was still alive to attack the city. The boat they sail on is attacked and destroyed, and the Prince and Kaileena drift to shore. Kaileena's unconscious body is then dragged off the beach by soldiers, with the Prince in hot pursuit. However, Kaileena confirms that the Prince is attempting to rescue her not out of love, but out of duty to honor the promise he made her.
Kaileena is taken to the Vizier in order to be sacrificed to unleash the Sands of Time. However, the Prince gives chase, heading to save her. But as the Prince arrives, he is struck in the arm by Mahasti with Daggertail, a razor-blade chain weapon, pinning him and stopping him from reaching Kaileena. The Vizier sacrifices her, then in turn stabs himself with the Dagger of Time, mutating him into a winged-demonic beast. By Kaileena's death, The Sands of Time were unleashed, corrupting all around them, including The Vizier's Generals - Klompa, Mahasti and The Twin Warriors - the Vizier's minions, and the Prince himself.
When the Prince defeats the Vizier at the end of the game, Kaileena's soul escapes the Vizier's body. Kaileena thanks the Prince by removing his partial Sand Corruption and Daggertail, before leaving to an unknown world with the Dagger of Time, so no one can ever use its power again.
Kaileena narrates the events of The Two Thrones throughout the game, like the Prince did in the Sands of Time. Kaileena mentioned in one of the first narrations that the Prince didn´t learned anything from his past adventures. This could mean that he forgot all that he learned about true leadership during the events of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands when he was not "wasting time" by helping citizens under enemy attack and went straight to the Palace to kill Vizier.